Illinois

Oil & gas and construction news for subcontractors working in Illinois — 52 stories and counting.

Pennsylvania PUC Opens Review of Data Center Rates, Curtailment Rules

The Pennsylvania PUC voted to examine ratemaking transparency and emergency curtailment rules as data center load growth strains PJM grid capacity, setting up regulatory changes that could reshape utility rate cases and interconnection timelines.

20h ago

Industry

EIA: Solar Generation to Jump 21% in 2026 on Data Center Demand

The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts solar generation growth of 21% in 2026 and 18% in 2027, driven by data center and manufacturing electricity demand, with growth concentrated in ERCOT and MISO.

Sep 12, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial solar farm meets data center construction - EIA: Solar Generation to Jump 21% in 2026 on Data Center Demand

Industry

Illinois Solar Farm Deploys Robots, Terrain-Following Trackers to Cut Labor Hours

The 346-MW Gibson City Solar Project in Illinois used AI-powered installation robots and terrain-following trackers to slash grading needs by 90%, offering a glimpse at future utility-scale solar construction methods.

Sep 4, 2026

Industry

PJM Stands to Gain Most From New Transmission Study, $6.7B in Benefits

A new study from S&P Global's CERA Consulting finds 13 high-value transmission projects could deliver $15.3 billion in net benefits through 2050, with PJM capturing the largest share, pointing to a wave of upcoming transmission work.

Sep 3, 2026

Editorial image: Transmission tower construction at dusk - PJM Stands to Gain Most From New Transmission Study, $6.7B in Benefits

Industry

Chicago Electrical Contractor Pays $21.3M to Settle Veteran-Owned Contract Fraud Case

Broadway Electric and Cornerstone Contracting agreed to a $21.3 million DOJ settlement over allegations they used sham veteran-owned businesses to win federal set-aside contracts, ENR reports.

Sep 2, 2026

Industry

Midwest Specialty Contractors Post Revenue Surge as Data Centers Drive Growth

ENR Midwest's 2026 rankings show top specialty contractors grew regional revenue nearly 20% in 2025, with data center work leading gains even as material costs, interest rates and labor shortages squeeze margins.

Aug 31, 2026

Editorial image: Electrical contractor cabling data center build - Midwest Specialty Contractors Post Revenue Surge as Data Centers Drive Growth

Workforce

Wildfire Smoke Poses Year-Round OSHA Risk for Outdoor Crews

ISHN reports that construction, utility, and landscaping crews face growing respiratory hazards from recurring wildfire smoke, with industry experts urging employers to treat AQI monitoring and N95 fit testing as standard seasonal prep, not emergency response.

Aug 29, 2026

Industry

Data Center Power Deals Spark Ratepayer Fights in Wisconsin, Illinois

Microsoft and PowerHouse Hillwood have filed disputes at FERC over transmission agreements for data centers in Wisconsin and Illinois, raising fresh questions about who pays for grid infrastructure tied to hyperscale campuses.

Aug 24, 2026

Compliance

Lightning-Sparked Fire Shuts Down Key Oklahoma Fuel Hub, Diesel Prices in Focus

A lightning strike ignited three storage tanks at Explorer Pipeline's Glenpool depot near Tulsa, halting operations at a hub that moves gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel across Texas, Oklahoma, and the Midwest.

Aug 18, 2026

Editorial image: Storage tank fire aftermath, wide view - Lightning-Sparked Fire Shuts Down Key Oklahoma Fuel Hub, Diesel Prices in Focus

Industry

Bally's Halts Chicago Hotel Work, Idling 1,500 Trades in Gaming Dispute

Bally's has ordered a construction stand-down on hotel and amenity work at its $1.7B Chicago casino complex, citing a dispute with the city over video gaming terminal legalization that has idled 1,500 union trade workers.

Aug 10, 2026

Editorial image: industry general - Bally's Halts Chicago Hotel Work, Idling 1,500 Trades in Gaming Dispute

Compliance

Turner Industries Diversifies Beyond Petroleum as Safety Becomes a Selling Point

ENR profiles Turner Industries' pivot from a 93%-petroleum backlog into data centers, pharma, carbon capture, and nuclear work, with safety metrics driving the expansion strategy.

Aug 4, 2026

Industry

Dominion's Offshore Wind Costs Jump $288M on PJM Upgrades, Tariffs

Dominion Energy now pegs its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project at $11.7 billion, up nearly $300 million, citing PJM network upgrade charges, tariffs and revised turbine installation schedules, Utility Dive reports.

Aug 3, 2026

Industry

Solar Landscape, Public Storage Bring 60 Rooftop Solar Sites to Illinois

Solar Landscape and Public Storage will develop 60 rooftop community solar projects across ComEd territory in northern Illinois, delivering 44 MW over two years and supporting roughly 300 construction jobs.

Aug 1, 2026

Industry

PJM Board Files FERC Proposals to Manage Data Center Power Demand

PJM's Board of Managers has directed two regulatory filings with FERC to fast-track power procurement for data centers and create a curtailment mechanism, aiming to address a projected 6.8 GW capacity shortfall.

Jul 31, 2026

Industry

States Push Back on FERC Bid to Expand Pipeline Permit Exemptions

More than a dozen states and D.C. are urging FERC to reject a rule that would let more gas pipeline projects skip case-specific review, warning of higher costs and less scrutiny.

Jul 28, 2026

Industry

FERC Sets September Deadline for PJM Governance Overhaul

FERC Chairman Laura Swett warns PJM Interconnection must adopt board and stakeholder reforms by the end of September or the commission will impose its own changes, following a technical conference on the grid operator's governance crisis.

Jul 25, 2026

Industry

Chicago Water District's 5-Year Plan Targets Flood Infrastructure Upgrades

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is finalizing a 2026-2030 strategic plan that emphasizes stormwater infrastructure, gray and green flood mitigation, and modernized treatment operations.

Jul 24, 2026

Industry

Grid Congestion Costs Signal Transmission Upgrade Wave for Electrical Contractors

Transmission congestion cost PJM Interconnection market participants $1.8 billion over May and June combined, a Reuters column via BOE Report reports, pointing to sustained demand for transmission and substation upgrade work.

Jul 21, 2026

Industry

Sol Systems Closes Financing on 123-MW Illinois Solar Portfolio

Sol Systems has secured financing for a 123-MWAC solar portfolio across three Illinois counties, with SOLV Energy serving as EPC and construction expected to create around 300 jobs.

Jul 18, 2026

Industry

FERC's Large-Load Orders Could Decide Which Data Centers Get Built First

FERC's June 18 show cause orders to six grid operators aim to standardize data center interconnection rules, and the projects that offer grid flexibility may break ground fastest, Utility Dive reports.

Jul 16, 2026

Editorial image: Data center substation interconnection gap - FERC's Large-Load Orders Could Decide Which Data Centers Get Built First

Industry

DOE Invokes Emergency Order to Shore Up PJM Grid During Mid-Atlantic Heat Wave

The Department of Energy issued a Section 202(c) emergency order on July 14, 2026, letting PJM tap 35 GW of backup generation as a record heat wave pushes peak demand past 160,000 MW.

Jul 16, 2026

Industry

PJM Capacity Auction Misses Target by 6.8 GW for Third Straight Year

PJM Interconnection's 2028/2029 capacity auction fell 6,831 MW short of reliability requirements, marking a third consecutive shortfall as data center demand outpaces new generation across the mid-Atlantic grid.

Jul 15, 2026

Industry

IIJA Funding Cliff Looms Sept. 30, Straining Highway and Bridge Bid Pipelines

Construction Dive reports that contractors face a Sept. 30 deadline as the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law expires, with 78% of voters wanting a renewal bill passed and economists warning already-authorized funds could dry up mid-decade.

Jul 15, 2026

Editorial image: Unfinished highway interchange at dusk - IIJA Funding Cliff Looms Sept. 30, Straining Highway and Bridge Bid Pipelines

Industry

Gas-Fired Power Boom for AI Data Centers Sparks Clean Energy Pushback

An AP report via Power Engineering details how the AI-driven data center boom is fueling a wave of new natural gas plants, prompting clean energy advocates and lawmakers in states including Pennsylvania to fight for renewable energy mandates and grid access.

Jul 15, 2026

Editorial image: Gas plant versus renewables, aerial - Gas-Fired Power Boom for AI Data Centers Sparks Clean Energy Pushback

Industry

Exelon CEO Warns of 2027 Blackouts, Seeks Power Plant Buildout

Exelon CEO Calvin Butler says the U.S. risks blackouts by 2027 and wants states to let regulated utilities build power plants again, a shift that could reshape generation construction bidding.

Jul 13, 2026

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